Tuesday, September 22, 2015

It's a no mean achievement for this woman

NEW YORK --- On 7th September 2015, Ms. Hind Abdulaziz
Alowais became the first Emirati woman to be posted at the United Nations
Headquarters in New York as a senior advisor since the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) became a member of the United Nations in 1971.

Ms. Alowais was selected for the post
of Senior Advisor in the Office of the Deputy Executive Director, Ms. Lakshmi
Puri, Assistant Secretary-General for Intergovernmental Support and Strategic
Partnerships, at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment
of Women (UN Women).

This appointment comes shortly after the UAE declared the
28th of August as Emirati Women’s Day, and coincides with the fortieth
anniversary of the establishment of the UAE General Women Union (GWU). It also
represents an opportunity for recognising and celebrating the achievements of
the UAE Women since the establishment of the GWU.

In this position, Ms. Alowais will work to ensure the
integration of a gender perspective in the implementation of the sustainable
development goals. Ms. Alowais will assist the Deputy Executive Director in
building advocacy and substantive support on intergovernmental,
non-governmental, and strategic partnerships.

Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, the Permanent Representative of
the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, commented on this appointment:
"Having an Emirati woman in this position is a reflection of the
international recognition that the UAE has achieved, not only on gender
equality, but also as an active and serious player in this international
organisation".

Ms. Alowais served as a career diplomat since 2000. During
her work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she served as Special Assistant
to the Foreign Minister. Most recently, Ms. Alowais served as a Counselor and
acting Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE Mission to the United Nations
in New York. In this role, she led and managed a number of initiatives, the
most recent of which was a series of panel discussions on Women, Peace and
Security, as part of the UAE Mission’s leading activities at the UN aimed at
promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Ms. Alowais holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the
Tisch School of the Arts in New York and a Master’s degree in International
Affairs from the Lebanese American.